The Disneyland of West Hollywood Pancake Houses: The Griddle Cafe.
On a weekend morning, with the sunshine in full effect, the girls and I decided that pancakes were in order. I’m not much of a breakfast person, but the ladies (Stephanie and Bryn) are and they’ve been raving to me about the delicious offerings of The Griddle Café for long periods of time, so we hopped in the car and went over the hill. I would most likely never trek over the hill for pancakes, but this place may have just changed my mind. As you pull up to Fairfax and Sunset, there’s a Rite-Aid on the corner with convenient parking for The Griddle Café. As you make your way through the hoards of people waiting in Disneyland-length lines for the amusement park of pancakes, you have to know there’s something trendy, if not just downright delicious, behind the minimalistic charms of such a petite place.
As arrive, we find ourselves standing in lines that rival the Small World, complete with a waiting time of about half an hour. I caught myself thinking, “Can I get a Fastpass?” Lucky for us, Bryn had arrived early so she was able to put in our name, while Stephanie and I fought our way though Hollywood and finally found a parking spot. We were asked if the counter would be okay, and seeing as if we would probably have an even longer wait had we refused, we were inclined to sit diner-style at the counter, which sat about 20 people in a long U-shape. After we were seated a very busy staff came over to take our orders for drinks, just water and coffee. The coffee came in a lovely small French press and we were asked if we would like light, medium or dark roasted coffee; I ordered dark roast. The coffee was delicious and well-brewed, having a very dark roasted aroma and full, earthy body.
After perusing the menu, Bryn ordered ‘Tis the Season: a pumpkin pie-filling pancake served with whipped cream. The pancakes were so light and fluffy and the light flavor of pumpkin and subtle hints of pumpkin pie spices made for the perfect pancake. Stephanie ordered Saturday Morning Fever, which were pancakes made with Kahlua and Bailey’s liquor, in light and delicious buttermilk pancake batter; the liquor is very prominent and delicious creating lively and interesting pancakes.
I ordered Poached y Papas Benedict, which consisted of seasoned potato skins topped with poached eggs and a tender ham steak. I ordered it with avocado, adding a little freshness to the dish. The ham steak was tender and delicious. The eggs were poached perfectly with a runny center, making the whole dish extremely rich. My only issue was the hollandaise, which was a bit overwhelming with its ratio to everything else, but overall a very delicious savory item.
The atmosphere is fun and exciting while the kitchen is working harder than most places will ever have the privilege to work. The chefs/cooks are truly an amazing and eye-opening service to watch. With an open kitchen in the center of the breakfast house, their ability to adeptly adjust to the continuous tickets and the vast amount of batter and eggs that are being scrambled and cooked, is beyond belief. The Griddle Cafe is doing breakfast the right way.
